Scottish Executive

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16459 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 July 2001, whether the target for reducing exclusions from schools by one third by 2002, as announced by the Minister for Children and Education on 13 September 1999, no longer applies.

Mr Jack McConnell: The target referred to in September 1999 reflected the target for exclusions which was announced in 1998 following publication of a social exclusion unit report to the UK Government.

  The Scottish Executive reviewed a number of targets established by the UK Government on what subsequently became devolved issues in the course of the preparation of Social Justice…a Scotland where everyone matters in November 1999. This document contains a revised target of reducing by a third the days lost every year through exclusion from school and truancy and this is the target to which the Scottish Executive has worked since then.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for any transfer of Scottish Homes properties to other landlords.

Jackie Baillie: The following list shows the estimated month for the transfer of Scottish Homes properties to other landlords:

  


Month 
  

Area/Estate/Community 
  



September 2001 
  

Priesthill, Jacob’s Ladder Way, Aberfoyle 
  



October 2001 
  

Rigside/Lanark/Blackwood, Tannochside (Birkenshaw) 
  



December 2001 
  

Springburn, Robroyston, Hamilton Lorne St 
  



January 2002 
  

Windlaw, Lochaber 
  



February 2002 
  

Stirling/Fallin/Plean 
  



March 2002 
  

Port Glasgow, Hutchesontown, Viewpark, Forth, Carluke 
  



June 2002 
  

East Balornock 
  



July 2002 
  

Lesmahagow - Coalburn, Hamilton & Laighstonehall 
  



October 2002 
  

Shetland Islands, Western Isles 
  



  There are currently no plans to transfer Scottish Homes’ stock in Anderston, Cumbernauld or Govan C.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are being considered as potential landlords following any transfer of Scottish Homes properties.

Jackie Baillie: In developing transfer proposals Scottish Homes consults all stakeholders including appropriate local authorities. To date no local authority has acquired Scottish Homes stock, although several have been involved in developing and establishing new housing partnership organisations, which have gone on to acquire Scottish Homes’ housing.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any transfer of Scottish Homes properties to other landlords will be decided by tenant ballot in each local authority area.

Jackie Baillie: All Scottish Homes’ transfer proposals involve a ballot of the relevant tenants.

Learning Disabilities

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether health boards and local authorities collate the details which they both hold of the number of children with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and, if so, how this is done.

Malcolm Chisholm: Any such collation would be for health boards and education and/or social work authorities to agree locally, and the Executive does not hold information on whether and how it is done. Consultation between health, education and social work authority would normally take place on an individual basis, depending on the needs of a particular child.

Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services Board is being abolished.

Iain Gray: The proposal to abolish the board reflects the fact that the policy of introducing competition with solicitors in relation to conveyancing and executry services has had very limited success. Since reopening for business in March 1997 after a period of suspension, the board has only registered 13 practitioners, of whom three have since resigned. Of the 10 practitioners currently registered, nine are employed by law firms; only one is practising independently, and thus providing a degree of competition to solicitors in the area in question.

  The annual operating costs of the board currently fall to be met by the taxpayer and are approximately £130,000. The annual cost of the board to the taxpayer is thus disproportionate to the overall level of competition being provided by independent practitioners to date. The board’s own forecasts do not suggest that the position is likely to improve significantly or to reach the stage in the foreseeable future by which the board will become self-financing, as originally intended.

Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the functions of the Scottish Conveyancing and Executry Services Board are being passed to the Law Society of Scotland and how the board’s role of providing low cost conveyancing options will be maintained.

Iain Gray: The board was established to regulate the provision of conveyancing and executry services by persons who are not solicitors, the policy intention being to promote competition in relation to such services. The expectation was that the board would become self-financing in due course from income from the registration fees paid by qualified conveyancers and executry practitioners.

  The very low numbers of practitioners who have registered with the board since 1997 have not allowed the board to become self-financing or to provide any significant level of competition for solicitors. Only independent qualified conveyancers can provide such competition, but only one is currently registered with the board, 10 out of the 11 registered practitioners being employed by law firms. This position indicated that alternative more cost-effective arrangements should be considered.

  The Law Society of Scotland has indicated that it is prepared in principle to assume responsibility for qualified conveyancers and executry practitioners. The society has in place a regulatory structure for solicitors and their employees and the regulation of qualified conveyancers and executry practitioners can be seen as a natural extension of its activities. Discussions will be taken forward on suitable arrangements for transfer. It will be important in that context that the interests of the consumer in terms of service and cost are fully considered.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was advised of the recent changes at director level at the Scottish Tourist Board; if so, at what stage and what advice it gave regarding the changes.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive was kept in regular touch with VisitScotland’s restructuring process implementing the relevant recommendation of the Price Waterhouse Coopers management review report including the decisions relating to the appointment of three new senior directors and the staff changes which ensued.